Pepper Design Blog

Wardrobe Style Boards: Spring Has Sprung!

A few new style boards to head into the weekend…

I spent last weekend in New Orleans and the beautiful, sunny weather offered the first glimpse of a warm spring that’s just around the corner. The weather called for a light jacket and shorts or a dress, it was great! Today we have just a bit of rain out here in Cali but I’m dreaming of a few great outfit ideas for spring.

A casual maxi dress paired with sandals is perfect for the beach, but the same dress matched with a higher heel, a little jean jacket and a few pieces of jewelry creates a dressed up, around-town outfit. I really love that Ella Moss striped dress and the simple Sashi leather necklace!

My go-to spring staple is a comfy pair of cuffed boyfriend jeans. They’re great layered with flowy blouses and tanks and the floral version below is ideal. How versatile is a cross body leather saddle bag? I’d love to add this Fossil version to my collection.

Did you know that Kohl’s carries different off-the-rack labels? I didn’t! I love this Lauren Conrad summer dress (at a steal of a price) and would pair it with one of my favorite J Crew Forever cardigans. My favorite dress secret is how perfectly a dress can be transformed into a tucked-in tank when you add a skirt as the next layer (especially a high-waisted skirt such as this). Love a versatile white leather carryall, a sturdy pair of cowboy boots and this adorable Zedena bird song necklace – which is perfect for spring – too.

For sources, pricing and other great ideas, head on over to the Wardrobe Style Boards page. Happy Friday!

Two Style Boards: Wedding Ready & Work/Play

Ready for spring? Nothing announces the coming of spring like wedding invitations! I love getting a little dressed up and a wedding is the perfect occasion to pull out my favorite pumps and go shopping for a new cocktail dress.

We have a wedding next month and right now I’m leaning towards a blush/beige ensemble like this:

This color palette is really complimentary to olive complexions such as mine and the layers make for easy wedding indoor/outdoor transitions. Now that my waist is slowly beginning to make an appearance, I’d love a beautiful cinched-waist dress and casual-ish belt (such a this braided version) to emphasize the return of the non-pregnant stomach. Pair that with suede pumps, gold jewelry and a long cardigan and this would be my perfect outfit!

When not in wedding mode, I tend to run around town in a work-meets-play get-up of dark trouser jeans, slightly dressed-up blouses and comfortable wedges or flats. Pair that with a military-inspired jacket and another slimming belt and I can go from home office to lunch meeting to errand running mom (eek – did I just say mom?) to cocktail hour and feel appropriately dressed for all of the above.

Oh I love this cascading ruffle blouse!

For source and pricing info (and more fun ideas), head on over to the Wardrobe Style Boards page. Happy Wednesday!

Sequins, Sequins and… More Sparkly Things

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was very low key – we enjoyed a delicious Christmas Eve meal with family, went to Mass to celebrate the Reason for the Season and checked out Christmas lights around town. On Christmas day we slept in, enjoyed a delicious brunch by Kevin and opened presents with family – an afternoon walk and a trip to the movies (maybe our last for a while?) capped off the perfect day!

This weekend has already been pretty productive when it comes to home updates – we had electricians over all day yesterday installing lights and outlets in the new guestroom/office while Kevin cleared up the ceilings (being an old kitchen, there were plenty of gas lines and the like).

Meanwhile… my mind has already begun to wander to our next big holiday. And when I think of New Year’s Eve, all that glitters is what comes to mind!

While I may not get to partake in the skinny jeans and sheer dress look this coming weekend, I’ve been inspired by a couple of New Year’s Eve wardrobe ideas (here’s a link to the entire list of style boards). I can’t think of a better reason to embrace sequins, sparkles and glitter!

Two looks that I’m especially drawn to:

A Casual Dinner Out: I’m loving the above white sequin top for so many reasons, especially that casual/comfy shape that looks so great when paired with skinny jeans. These Report flats are spot-on in price and would add that little something to outfits throughout the year.

Downtown with Friends: These semi-low booties would be the perfect pair for walking the streets of downtown with friends for the final countdown. Whether it’s bar hopping or setting up shop at one favorite locale, I love this shear little dress and glittery clutch.

To track down any of these finds and see pricing info, check out the slideshow here.

This weekend you’ll likely find me uber pregnant and curled up on the couch with hubby and Martinellis enjoying the last few days of Christmas decor around the house, but here’s to dreaming of a sparkly, glittery night welcoming in the new year!